Traditional or state of the art basketball nets have symmetric conical shape and are kept in place by various means. While playing the game, the basketball is thrown towards the net to make it pass through the same. The players then strive to re-gain control of the ball again. Now, during this process the basketball can exit through the bottom of the net at different angles depending upon the route which basketball travels through the hoop or rim. For instance, basketballs falling straight down through the center of the rim fall vertically downward when exiting the net. Alternatively, if the basketball falls through the hoop slightly off-center, the basketball may touch the hoop or even the board before falling through the net. The basketball can then bounce forward, backward, to the left, or to the right after falling through the net. If the basketball constantly exits the basketball net at different angles, a basketball player must continuously retrieve the basketball from different locations. Such a situation demands extra effort and may require additional attention particularly when the basketball court is located near hills, pedestrians, traffic or undesirable locations where the basketball may bounce after exiting the basketball net. This additional effort and attention deters overall enjoyment of the game and increases the risk of injury to players and bystanders.
There have been a number of inventions that are designed to address the problem. U.S. Pat. No. 7,008,337 describes a basketball return apparatus formed of an injection molded device which is formed as a resilient deflector including a spine extending the length of the device. The spine has a pair of upper and lower wings which are located behind a net suspended from a hoop rim.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,017 discloses multiple elongated flexible channel straps each having a top end that attaches to a basketball rim and bottom end. The slope of the channel straps control the angle and speed in which a basketball exists the net.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,746,349 has disclosed basketball net having an integrally formed resilient net-like body of a generally tapered configuration. A connected undulating central waist portion of the body is defined by a series of oppositely disposed upper and lower cutouts to facilitate limited stretching of the net-like body about its waist.
Mechanical devices disclosed in prior art rely upon rigid or semi-rigid elements, collectively referred to as “chute” type of device, to re-direct the ball after leaving the hoop. However, these do not see universal adoption by players and hoop owners. Rigid chute devices are gaining popularity among players as a way to facilitate ball return, but such devices have multiple drawbacks. For instance, their appearance does not support the look and feel of a competitive game—but implies a level of amateurism or incompetence—similar to how a set of training wheels impacts the look of a bike. They are costly but look childish and unprofessional. Most of the times, chutes do not get along with the aesthetic and historical beauty of the game. Not only that, chutes can interfere with jump shots and slam dunk shots—creating an unwanted and unsafe obstruction to play. Chutes are not admired as they interfere with the competitive nature of the game, imparting unwanted rebound to balls shot below the rim that would otherwise not be impeded by the net alone
Accordingly, there is requirement of a professional, aesthetic and effective design of basketball net that directs the basketball in a preferred direction while exiting the net. There is requirement of a design which is acceptable to the professionals and doesn't interfere with the beauty of the game while achieving the desired returning function.